2nd UPDATE: Pic of pig inside. So, who owns or has owned a pig?

[homebrew2ny]

I use to help a friend of the family when I was a kid with his 4 pigs. They were huge, but then there were only 3 as one of them was killed and eaten by the others. Filthy, smelly animals.

 

[DrPizza]

this thread is a trainwreck.

OP keep it at the farm they recommended.


<$300 is cheap if your kid has an interest in this that will pay off for them.

Wtf are you talking about, "trainwreck." And, note: it's going to cost a more than $300. Once a pig hits about 120-130 pounds, it'll be eating up to 10 pounds of food each day. Then there are the monthly dewormers, grooming supplies, etc., not to mention the clothing for FFA & other miscellaneous supplies.



Anyway, OP, I did some more digging - it appears a lot of people just learn how to judge piglets & start off with cheaper piglets. It also appears from what I read about people's prices in a couple of places that the $250 included use of the barn. In that case, it's not a bad bargain at all. Also, I had a "duhhh" moment. I only show purebred animals. BUT, I'm aware that for meat production, a lot of people are crossing myotonic goats with bohr goats. Hybrid vigor. One FFA advisor said that at least 50% of the show winners (pigs) are mixed breed, not purebred pigs. So, if you want to do it at home, probably a 10x12 sheltered area, with maybe double that outside. Pigs are one of the easier animals to contain with electric fencing - requires a lower voltage than many other animals. A strand at 6" and 12" off the ground will hold them. Free choice feed for most of their life; until they're getting close to show weight. (At a glance the rules vary a little on show weight, but generally, you're looking at 250 pounds +/- 20 or 30.)

Pros barn: it's not at your house
Cons barn: your daughter needs to spend a lot of time with that pig, and learning herself how to walk with the pig - keep the pig between her and the judge. If she doesn't walk the pig frequently, it won't do as well at the show. Been in a similar situation with one of our goats. We're in western NY. When we left, it was still in the 30's. When we got to where the show was in Tennessee, it was in the 80's. The rapid change in temperatures felt miserable to me. Our largest goat did NOT want to be in the show ring, and made it known to everyone. I could barely handle him; it looked horrible. Didn't take long before the judge politely said, "no, he's not placing. Bye." If I recall correctly, he had taken a first place & reserve grand champion at a show in NJ - this was a quality animal who usually handled very well. If she doesn't work training that pig, and getting the pig very used to being guided around the show ring, she's going to feel horrible after the pig does poorly.

 

[mammador]

I've owned a leg of ham before..it's the next best thing.

 

[Humpy]

I've owned a pig. All I can say for sure is that if the basement floods the pig will die. That is just one of the reasons not to keep a pig in your basement.

 

[RossMAN]

Fuck, drpizza, what don't you know about? You're one of the most helpful members here.

Agreed, can you imagine if DrPizza + Rubycon + Kaido + Jeff7 had a child?

It would be wicked smart with a witty sense of humor, sailing the 7 seas while handing out infractions ... :thumbsup:

Or maybe not

 

[CPA]

this thread is a trainwreck.

OP keep it at the farm they recommended.


<$300 is cheap if your kid has an interest in this that will pay off for them.

the problem is getting her back and forth to the school's barn (not farm), twice a day. Both my wife and I work and sometimes our schedules are not condusive to getting her to the barn when the pig will need to be fed.

 

[edro]

Put the feed up an incline, so it has to walk up it each time it eats.
This builds muscle.

It works for sheep.

 

[Chiropteran]

I own a pig mask.

 

[CPA]

Put the feed up an incline, so it has to walk up it each time it eats.
This builds muscle.

It works for sheep.

We live in some of the flattest area known to man. Rivals Kansas/Nebraska.

 

[CPA]

Wtf are you talking about, "trainwreck." And, note: it's going to cost a more than $300. Once a pig hits about 120-130 pounds, it'll be eating up to 10 pounds of food each day. Then there are the monthly dewormers, grooming supplies, etc., not to mention the clothing for FFA & other miscellaneous supplies.



Anyway, OP, I did some more digging - it appears a lot of people just learn how to judge piglets & start off with cheaper piglets. It also appears from what I read about people's prices in a couple of places that the $250 included use of the barn. In that case, it's not a bad bargain at all. Also, I had a "duhhh" moment. I only show purebred animals. BUT, I'm aware that for meat production, a lot of people are crossing myotonic goats with bohr goats. Hybrid vigor. One FFA advisor said that at least 50% of the show winners (pigs) are mixed breed, not purebred pigs. So, if you want to do it at home, probably a 10x12 sheltered area, with maybe double that outside. Pigs are one of the easier animals to contain with electric fencing - requires a lower voltage than many other animals. A strand at 6" and 12" off the ground will hold them. Free choice feed for most of their life; until they're getting close to show weight. (At a glance the rules vary a little on show weight, but generally, you're looking at 250 pounds +/- 20 or 30.)

Pros barn: it's not at your house
Cons barn: your daughter needs to spend a lot of time with that pig, and learning herself how to walk with the pig - keep the pig between her and the judge. If she doesn't walk the pig frequently, it won't do as well at the show. Been in a similar situation with one of our goats. We're in western NY. When we left, it was still in the 30's. When we got to where the show was in Tennessee, it was in the 80's. The rapid change in temperatures felt miserable to me. Our largest goat did NOT want to be in the show ring, and made it known to everyone. I could barely handle him; it looked horrible. Didn't take long before the judge politely said, "no, he's not placing. Bye." If I recall correctly, he had taken a first place & reserve grand champion at a show in NJ - this was a quality animal who usually handled very well. If she doesn't work training that pig, and getting the pig very used to being guided around the show ring, she's going to feel horrible after the pig does poorly.

Where/what did you do with the manure?

The $250 is just for the piglet. Extra cost for the barn which doesn't include food or any other necessity.

I have plenty of space in the back (about an acre) for a pen, just have to decide where I want it located.

Because my daughter is a freshman, she will be picking towards the end, meaning her choices will be limited. Have to assume many of the upper classmen will know what they are looking for. May have to treat this year as a learning experience more than a return on investment.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Pigs tend to get very stressed very quickly; I've seen some die in a show arena from a heart attack before. If your daughter's pig shows any signs of heart attack, seizure, etc., just spray it down with cold water and it will bounce back to normal.

I agree with keeping the feed at an incline. You want to build up its back and dat ass.

They're by far the most low maintenance animals to raise for FFA. Good choice :thumbsup:.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Duroc? Hamp? York? What breed is it?

 

[CPA]

Duroc? Hamp? York? What breed is it?

don't know yet. I checked this morning, but none of the paperwork mentions the breed. Will find out soon.

 

[leftyman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB-FWD0SZvY

 

[Fritzo]

When I was 8 years old, we spent 2 weeks of the support at my grandparents farm in Ray Ohio (pop. 327). My grandparents had a real farm: they grew their own food, they raised their own animals, they gathered eggs from chickens, used tractors...and even a mule sometimes!

One day, my grandpa said "C'mon over n' gimmie a hand". He handed me a shovel and took me by the hand towards a gray, dilapidated barn. He called a gigantic hog over---which happily obeyed like a big puppy dog...his little curly tail was even wagging! Grandpa put a leash thing on the pig and lead him out of the stable.

I thought "Wow! I get to take a pig for a walk!"

The pig was lead to a corner of the barn where a tarp was on the ground. He tied the pig's leash to a spike in the ground and told me to go start digging a hole around back. I wasn't sure why, but I went in back and started digging a hole.

About a minute later, I heard a loud "**BLAM!!!!***". I ran back into the barn, and grandpa had SHOT THE FREAKIN' PIG IN THE HEAD, THEN PROCEEDED TO STICK A HOOK IN ITS BACK AND EVISCERATE IT.

The next day, we had pork and noodles for dinner. I'm not sure if it was from that same pig, but I didn't eat it. 30-some years later, grandpa went to his grave having no idea how much he screwed me up

 

[Oyeve]

So, what happens if you fall in love with the pig-pet and when auction time comes around?

 

[CPA]

So, what happens if you fall in love with the pig-pet and when auction time comes around?

Believe me, that's my biggest worry with my daughter. But, she's been around animals enough to know about death (we have a couple buried in our back yard) and has a stronger constitution than my boys. We'll see how I handle it, though

 

[CPA]

When I was 8 years old, we spent 2 weeks of the support at my grandparents farm in Ray Ohio (pop. 327). My grandparents had a real farm: they grew their own food, they raised their own animals, they gathered eggs from chickens, used tractors...and even a mule sometimes!

One day, my grandpa said "C'mon over n' gimmie a hand". He handed me a shovel and took me by the hand towards a gray, dilapidated barn. He called a gigantic hog over---which happily obeyed like a big puppy dog...his little curly tail was even wagging! Grandpa put a leash thing on the pig and lead him out of the stable.

I thought "Wow! I get to take a pig for a walk!"

The pig was lead to a corner of the barn where a tarp was on the ground. He tied the pig's leash to a spike in the ground and told me to go start digging a hole around back. I wasn't sure why, but I went in back and started digging a hole.

About a minute later, I heard a loud "**BLAM!!!!***". I ran back into the barn, and grandpa had SHOT THE FREAKIN' PIG IN THE HEAD, THEN PROCEEDED TO STICK A HOOK IN ITS BACK AND EVISCERATE IT.

The next day, we had pork and noodles for dinner. I'm not sure if it was from that same pig, but I didn't eat it. 30-some years later, grandpa went to his grave having no idea how much he screwed me up

This made me laugh.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Pig manure turned into a slurry is great fertilizer for the fields.

Couple of places I know in Iowa make good extra cash; Increase the corn yields by 10-15% in the fields that it is sprayed on.
You may be able to get a local crop farm to take the stuff. Maybe need to U-Haul it over if the farm will not provide you with a trailer.

Or start your own garden

 

[Lyfer]

My mother in law has a pet pig. Paid $600 for that sucker.

 

[zanejohnson]

pros:
pigs eat anything, makes for a nice organic left over food disposer
personality simalar to a dog, actually a friendly animal most of the time
she'll be able to sell it probably after she grows it for a profit (at least that's how it worked when i went to high school)

cons:
pigs eat everything/anything, this includes gas containers, tires laying around, annything plastic laying around, basically anything it can chew on (from my experience)

pigs are fat, usually not a pleasant sight, or pleasant for any sense really

pigs can also be loud, rooting about, snorting around

 

[JM Aggie08]

Also: consider keeping it at the school's barn. Your yard will be destroyed, and pig shit smells terrible (unlike cattle).

The barn will also have certain amenities that wouldn't be very cost-effective to put at your house, especially if she decides to change animals next year.

 

[PingSpike]

We had pigs when I was a child. They were nasty horrible beasts from what I recall. They were quite adept at escaping their pen and were a pain in the ass for my father to catch afterward. He once chased one with a shovel and it bit the shovel leaving a large dent. My father is sometimes prone to exaggeration but I do remember looking out the window as a child watching him angrily chasing one of our massive pigs with a shovel so at least part of that story is true.

Once one of our chickens happened into the pig pen and sat on its back for warmth. How cute everyone thought it was, until the pig consumed the chicken.

When it came time to slaughter the pigs no one felt sorry for them if I recall. Even as a small child that helped pick out the piglets I don't remember being upset at their disappearance. I got the impressive everyone was at least a little afraid of them at that point since they were nasty and also gigantic.

I wouldn't leave them in your backyard since I suspect they'll find new escape weak points in your fence much faster than you can.

 

[Oyeve]

Also: consider keeping it at the school's barn. Your yard will be destroyed, and pig shit smells terrible (unlike cattle).

The barn will also have certain amenities that wouldn't be very cost-effective to put at your house, especially if she decides to change animals next year.

Pig shit smells really bad because people give pigs, well, shitty food!

 

[DrPizza]

pros:
pigs eat anything, makes for a nice organic left over food disposer
personality simalar to a dog, actually a friendly animal most of the time
she'll be able to sell it probably after she grows it for a profit (at least that's how it worked when i went to high school)

cons:
pigs eat everything/anything, this includes gas containers, tires laying around, annything plastic laying around, basically anything it can chew on (from my experience)

pigs are fat, usually not a pleasant sight, or pleasant for any sense really

pigs can also be loud, rooting about, snorting around

Unfortunately, she probably won't want to feed it most left over food. Veggies or fruit, and that's it. Maybe a little bit of bread.
When we had our pig, its shit didn't really get that unpleasant smelling until the pig was much bigger. <250 pounds, it wasn't bad at all, provided I kept the stall clean. Manure and dirty bedding went into a compost pile. Of course, the compost pile wasn't located 10 feet from my windows or doors. (50 yards or so up the road.) And, the following year, I had a hell of a garden where I had mixed that compost in. Pigs are easily kept contained with electric fencing. (6" and 12" above the ground.) Though, I didn't have electric fence back then. I believe I had a thread though that said, "where does a 600 pound pig go? Wherever she wants." Profit is pretty sketchy - depends on a lot. If these were sold anywhere near current market prices, none of the kids would make a profit. It's only because a lot of people are extra generous when they bid on FFA animals that the kids actually turn a profit.